Arc-extinguishing device



0. H. ESCHHOLZ ARC EXTINGUISHING DEVICE Feb. 2 1926.

Filed Feb. 20. 1922 AT'TORNEY 9. A resistor 10 bridges across the ftween thesections 7 and '8.

Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES OTTO H. ESCHHOLZ, 0F WIIiKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- nousn ELECTRIC & murncrunme vnm.

COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF BENNS'YL- ABG-EXTINGUISHING DEVICE.

Application filed February 20, 1922. Serial No. 587,857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,'O'1*ro H. ESCHHOLZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Arc-Extinguishing Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to arc-extinguishing devices and particularly to the arcing horns of electric switches.

My invention has for its object the provision of arcing horns of such form that, as the arc is moved away from its point of establishment, under the influence of blow-out coils or otherwise, gradually increasing resistance is introduced between the arc termi-- nals and the spaced switch terminals and the arc stream thereby rendered unstable.

The single figure of the drawing illustrates, partially in side elevation and partially in section, a pair of switch members and an arc chute to which my invention is applied.

I provide a pair of relatively movable con tact members'l-that may pbe mounted in any manner desired. The contact members 1 are rovided with arcing horns 2 and 3that are gisposed between side walls 4 of an arc chute Pole pieces 5 are provided on the exterior of the walls 4; the pole pieces and a sidewall of only one side of the arc chute being illustrated in the drawing. It will be understood,

however, that these parts. may be of any usual form and that a blow-out coil 6 is provided for setting up a flux across the path of an arcthat travels upwardly along the arcing horns 2 and 3 from the contact members 1, when'such contact members are being se aratedf a e arcing horn 2 is composed of sections 7 and Q that are secured together, but insulated from each other by means of amember space he- The arcin 12 "and 13 t at are insulat by meanaof a I block 14 and areconnected electrically byreper ends,

,ma'gnetic blow-out app sistanoemember- 15.

Upon the separation of the contact ine'nihere 1, an arc is formed adjacent to their uparatus, as wellas its natural tenderpcy to rise, such arc s horn3 is com osed of sections and, under the influence ofthe to travel upwardly along the horns 2 and 3 until it reaches the point 17. The are will then form across the sections 8 and 13 and Will contmue its upward movement, as indicated by the dotted line 18.

It will be observed that the lower ends of the sections 8 and 13 overlap the upper ends of the sections 7 and 12 so that the arc may readily pass from the lower sections to the upper sections and that, when the arc has passed to the upper sections, the circuit of 05 which it forms a part includes the resistance elements 10 and 15, thus reducing the energy developed by the are as well as the are current, thereby more readily efi'ecting the rupture of the arc.

It is, of course, well known that, as the length of the arc stream increases on an approximate constant potential circuit, its stability decreases, because of the increased re sistance thereof and consequent decreased arc current. I

By my form of construction, the necessity for the employment of s litters or deflectors,

such as are sometimes utilized for increasin the length of the are stream within a limite space, is avoided, inasmuch as I do not-depend wholly upon an increasing length thereof for t e breaking down 05E the arc and dissipation of stored circuit energy.

It will. be apparent that, instead of mak- 8 ing the horns 2 and 3 of only two sections each, they may be made in as'ma'ny sections as desired, with insulation and resistance in-. terposed therebetween, in the manner illustarted. Furthermore, it will be understood that, instead of the coils 10 and 15, I may emplo bars of relatively eat resistance material h'avin a high positive co-eflicient' of resistance w ich may also serve as supports for the sections of the horns.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth 1n the appended claims.

I claim as m invention: 1. Thecombmation with a pair of relatively movable contact members, of two areing horns each composed of a plurality of 1 sections that are spaced "longitudinally and connected byblocks of insulating-material.

2. The combination with a pair of relativel movable contact members,'of two areing orns each composed of a plurality of sections that are spaced loniigudinally, the aced sections of each horn ing m each other and connectedby resistance elements.

3. The combination with a pair of rela-' tively movable contact members, of arcing horns of a predetermined increasing resist-'- ance toward their extremities.

4. The combination with a pair of relatively movable'contact members, of two areing horns each of, which is composed oflon-' $6 6. The combination with a of conductors across which area ma -form under predetermined conditions, 0 7 means for moving the arc terminals alon a pair of relatively movable and separab e auxiliary conducting members to a oint remote from the said conductors, one o the'said conductmg members being formed in sections that I are connected by a ce member.

7. The combination with a pair of relativel movable current conductors acrom whic arcs may form under etermined conditions, of a pair of relat vel arcing horns carried by and ated from the conductors, one of which is connected to one of the conductors by a resistance element.

In' testimony whereof,' I have hereunto subscribed my. name this 15th day of February, 1922,

v OTTO H. ESCHHOLZ.

movable, 

